Creative Classic: the creative industry mourns Anthony Head… and 90s advertising

Anthony Head, who starred in the classic advert series for Nescafé Gold Blend, is a loss to the industry. But we can learn something from his campaigns, and those from the era, says Charlotte Brooks, managing director, Mischief PR.

The passing of the dapper Anthony Head has prompted some nostalgic revisiting of his Nescafé ad series. It was a time when people were glued to television ads, and creatives knew how to play to audiences.

Between 1987 and 1993, Anthony starred in a famously addictive, serialised advertising campaign for Nescafé Gold Blend alongside actress Sharon Maughan. The 12-part saga played out like a primetime soap opera, captivating tens of millions of viewers with its slow-burning, "will they, won't they" romantic tension, all sparked over a cup of coffee.

Head played a charming, artist type who shared a flirtatious, coffee-driven dynamic with his glamorous neighbour (Maughan). Each commercial ended unresolved, keeping the nation hooked for five years until the couple finally got together: a finale that made the front page of The Sun and drew an astonishing 30 million viewers.

The commercials spawned a tie-in novel (Love Over Gold by Susan Moody), video compilations, and even music albums. The campaign was a massive win for Nestlé, reportedly boosting UK sales of Gold Blend by up to 70% by the time the original run concluded. The adverts even spawned an adaptation for the American market (where Gold Blend was branded as Taster's Choice), with Head and Maughan reprising their roles with American accents.

Something was brewing in the 90s

I didn’t grow up here, but I’ve learned to love 90s British advertising.

The creatives back then knew something that we seem to have forgotten: that advertising and communication are a value exchange. If you want someone to sit and receive your message, you should make it worth their while.

Researchers at Kantar TGI have tracked consumer attitudes towards ads for more than 40 years. Sentiment peaked in the 90s, where 31% of viewers agreed that “ads were as good as the programmes.” By 2018, that figure had dropped to 13%. Today, more people tick the box for "nearly all TV ads annoy me”.

What has happened to us? We’ve become so obsessed with “reach and distinctive brand assets” that we’ve possibly neglected a clear truism: that what we’re reaching with matters as much as the reach itself.

Humour, drama, playfulness… and a little bit of mischief go a long way towards people watching you, liking you, and maybe even saying “have you seen this” in the group chat (or better yet, the pub).